Search results
1 – 10 of 63In what may be the first study of its kind in business and entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to compare faculty and student perceptions and beliefs about…
Abstract
Purpose
In what may be the first study of its kind in business and entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to compare faculty and student perceptions and beliefs about entrepreneurship motives and barriers and student aspirations in order to explore implications for entrepreneurship education (EE).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors survey 3,037 students and faculty in the USA, China, India, Turkey, Belgium, and Spain, focusing on perceptions of entrepreneurship motives and barriers. Factor analysis organizes data for comparisons and regressions.
Findings
The authors find significant faculty-student differences in views of entrepreneurship motives and barriers, university environments, and student aspirations. An especially important finding is that, across six countries with widely varying cultures, economies, and entrepreneurial environments, students consistently see themselves as more entrepreneurial than the faculty perceive.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include sample size and self-reporting. The authors also have focused on the significance of differences in perceptions, not on whether faculty or student perceptions are correct. A major implication of the study is that EE curricula need to be assessed in terms of their impact on the self-confidence, risk aversion, and entrepreneurial disposition of students.
Originality/value
The authors shine light on an overlooked topic – faculty-student perceptual alignment – to stimulate research and strengthen EE, especially regarding students’ self-confidence and views of failure and risk.
Details
Keywords
Mark Pruett, Rachel Shinnar, Bryan Toney, Francisco Llopis and Jerry Fox
In order to extend the literature on predicting entrepreneurial intentions this study aims to test a model incorporating cultural, social, and psychological factors.
Abstract
Purpose
In order to extend the literature on predicting entrepreneurial intentions this study aims to test a model incorporating cultural, social, and psychological factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper surveyed over 1,000 students at universities in the USA, Spain, and China.
Findings
Across cultures, university students share generally similar views on motivations and barriers to entrepreneurship, but with some interesting differences. Further, while cultural and social dimensions explain only a small portion of intentions, psychological self‐efficacy (disposition) is an important predictor.
Research limitations/implications
The study was restricted to university students. It generated focused conclusions and recommendations, but these may not be more widely generalizable. The study suggests directions for continued work on the relationship between cultural and psychological factors in entrepreneurship.
Practical implications
Entrepreneurship education may serve students better by increasing its focus on creativity and confidence‐building. Further, curricula should be adapted to specific cultures – for example, a unique dilemma faced by Chinese students is discussed in detail.
Originality/value
Performing a cross‐cultural comparison made it possible to add fresh insight to debates over the antecedents of entrepreneurship. It also uncovered some important topics for further discussion and research.
Details
Keywords
This is the first study of its kind to explore the relationship between studentsʼ year of education and their intention to start a business once they have completed their…
Abstract
This is the first study of its kind to explore the relationship between studentsʼ year of education and their intention to start a business once they have completed their undergraduate studies. The article also examines studentsʼ cumulative grade point average and their intention to start a business once they have completed their undergraduate studies.These pioneering findings are based on an extensive title review (including their summaries) of hundreds of articles related to these factors listed in EBSCO.
Details
Keywords
Within the past 20 years hiking and backpacking have enjoyed rapid growth among Americans as favorite outdoor activities. From 1965 to 1977 the number of hikers almost tripled…
Abstract
Within the past 20 years hiking and backpacking have enjoyed rapid growth among Americans as favorite outdoor activities. From 1965 to 1977 the number of hikers almost tripled, from 9.9 million to 28.1 million, while national forest visitor days among hikers and mountaineers increased from 4 million in 1966 to 11 million in 1979. Accompanying this growth in interest has been a boom in books about the sport. These include both “how‐to‐do‐it” volumes and guides to specific geographical areas. Each year brings another spate of books, yet to this compiler's knowledge no bibliography of hiking guides to the Rocky Mountains, one of North America's premier outdoor regions, has yet been attempted. This bibliography is an effort to correct that situation.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate university students in Ethiopia by making a comparative analysis among different groups of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate university students in Ethiopia by making a comparative analysis among different groups of students.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 156 students completed entrepreneurship intention questionnaire. The questionnaire has seven parts extracting information about personal attraction, subjective norm, self‐efficacy, entrepreneurial intention, need for achievement, locus of control, and instrumental readiness. The respondents were asked to state their agreement/disagreement on statements on a seven‐point Likert type scale.
Findings
The result identified that students who had undergone entrepreneurship education (business management student in this case) tend to have better entrepreneurial intention than those who had not taken entrepreneurship course (engineering students). Also, it was observed that male management students have higher personal attraction towards entrepreneurial career, subjective norms, self‐efficacy and achievement need than female management students, as well as male and female engineering students, while female management students have the lowest instrumental readiness than students in other groups. The study did not find significant difference in entrepreneurial intention of students who had exposure to entrepreneurial activity through family and those who had no such exposures.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this research lies in the sample size and the study units (universities) from which samples have been taken. Future research is recommended to predict entrepreneurship intention of students by taking larger sample from more universities in the country.
Practical implications
The study strongly suggests the need to incorporate entrepreneurship education in the curriculum of technical disciplines in Ethiopian universities.
Originality/value
The research provides assessment of entrepreneurship intention of university students in the country/culture which was not explored in the past and hence it further enriches literature and helps to universalize intention theories.
Details
Keywords
Did you hear the story about the successful entrepreneur who got her start on a college campus? With women making up the majority of students on university campuses in the United…
Abstract
Did you hear the story about the successful entrepreneur who got her start on a college campus? With women making up the majority of students on university campuses in the United States, but the minority of entrepreneurship students, it is certainly exciting to hear these success stories. In attempting to grow the number of women in such programs, it is important to understand the factors in the college experience that contribute to the success of such students. Told through the lens of three successful recent alumnae, this chapter explores the experiences of women entrepreneurship students. The factors attributed to their success include classroom and extracurricular programs, community resources, and inspirational mentoring from faculty and peers.
Details
Keywords
Salime Mehtap, Massimiliano M. Pellegrini, Andrea Caputo and Dianne H.B. Welsh
Female entrepreneurship is a growing segment in the context of developing countries and has the potential to become a driving force for economic development. However, research…
Abstract
Purpose
Female entrepreneurship is a growing segment in the context of developing countries and has the potential to become a driving force for economic development. However, research suggests that females are less inclined toward entrepreneurship when compared to their male counterparts. This fact is related to a complex mix of causes such as the belief that entrepreneurship is a male domain, certain conditions within the economic and social environment and a general lack of confidence with regards to succeeding in such activities. Barriers to female entrepreneurship are prevalent in the patriarchal Arab world. The purpose of this paper is to measure the perceptions of female Jordanian business students with regards to the socio-cultural barriers to entrepreneurship. It also looks at the conduciveness of the education they are receiving in terms of new venture creation.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 254 female business students from two universities in Jordan was asked to evaluate various factors within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including the business education they are currently receiving. A factor analysis has been performed to show which relevant elements may prevent young women from engaging with entrepreneurial activities. A comparison of perceptions about the educational system has also been presented to understand how a supportive educational environment may affect the previous analysis.
Findings
The results indicated that a strong supportive education system to some extent may reduce the perception of potential barriers for entrepreneurship but the overall impact can be limited. Conversely, an educational system lacking a supportive environment and concrete initiatives can deeply affect and worsen the fears of engaging in entrepreneurship amongst female students.
Originality/value
The role of women in the Arab world is quite marked and the reluctance of women to take a more decisive engagement in entrepreneurship may be reinforced by conservative, societal traditions. A supportive education system has the potential to act as a catalyst to encourage active female participation in the entrepreneurial domain, thus helping to spur economic development in the region.
Details
Keywords
The divergent interests of franchisor and franchisee give rise to significant ex-post conflict following the purchase of a franchise. Australian regulators have sought to assist…
Abstract
Purpose
The divergent interests of franchisor and franchisee give rise to significant ex-post conflict following the purchase of a franchise. Australian regulators have sought to assist transparency in franchising decision making by legislating for disclosure documents that expose key variables that theoretically determine choice on the part of prospective franchisees. The purpose of this paper is to explore the value proposition of the disclosure document and tests its normative effectiveness using a signal-theoretic perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Potential investors were asked to consider selected attributes through a choice-based survey, consistent with consumer theory, and focussing on an attribute-based determination of value. However, complex decision making in general and choice modeling can place severe cognitive burdens on respondents and induce satisficing rather than maximizing behavioral patterns. Best-worst scaling (BWS) provided a means for potential purchasers to respond coherently.
Findings
Findings indicate limited capacity for potential investors to rationalize the simplistic choices presented, suggesting that franchise choice is determined to a large degree by non-rational factors.
Research limitations/implications
This research is embryonic (exploratory) in nature with the findings providing an imperative for further investigation into workable attributes of franchise systems. Analysis is limited to prospective franchisees’ perceptions and needs to be triangulated with franchisor and policy-makers perspectives.
Practical implications
Both franchisors and policy makers can utilize this research to improve transparency in the disclosure document. Prospective franchisees should then be able to make more effective decisions about the franchise systems of choice.
Social implications
A reduction in conflict within the franchising sector (no matter how trivial) will improve the business operations, franchisee and employee welfare throughout the sector. Progress on this topic will improve the sustainability and overall attractiveness of the sector.
Originality/value
Conjoint analysis has not been used previously in franchising research. The use of BWS on prospective franchisee perceptions is innovative providing a basis for much research to be done in this field of research.
Details
Keywords
Melissa Thompson and Kimberly Barsamian Kahn
The purpose of this paper is to understand whether mental health status – either alone or in conjunction with race – affects perceptions of police legitimacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand whether mental health status – either alone or in conjunction with race – affects perceptions of police legitimacy.
Design/methodology/approach
Using survey data collected from Portland, Oregon residents (n=259), this research examines predictors of trust in the police.
Findings
Results show that individuals with a history of mental illness are similar to African-American respondents: both are especially distrustful of the police. The combination of race and mental illness does not appear to create additional levels of distrust.
Social implications
This research suggests there are important racial and mental health disparities in perceived police legitimacy, and that these disparities will need to be addressed for the police to successfully combat crime and encourage compliance with the law.
Originality/value
Although research has consistently highlighted how race affects perceptions of police legitimacy, research has not yet examined whether mental health status affects perceptions of police legitimacy; in addition to race, this paper highlights the unique perspectives of individuals with mental health concerns regarding policing.
Details